Assessing role of natural farming in enhancing ecosystem services and sustainable agriculture
Natural farming is an environment friendly holistic approach emphasizing agricultural sustainability ecosystem health by reducing external inputs. It is a chemical free farming practice based on livestock and locally available resources. In conventional agriculture injudicious use of chemicals creates pressures on soil and environment so it is required to switch towards a sustainable agricultural practice. The four basic principles of natural farming are no-tillage, no chemical fertilizers, no weeding, and pesticides. Additionally, mulching, inter cropping, continuous cropping with crop diversity, minimum intervention, water conservation, integration of livestock and some minor agronomical practices can be considered its supporting pillers. By avoiding synthetic chemicals, farmers generally used locally available low-cost inputs like cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, crop stubbles etc. Use of cowdung based natural formulations like Jeevamrit, Beejamrit etc., improve soil health and also addressed several ecological and social challenges. Crop diversification like intercropping, polyculture, crop rotation enhances biodiversity by supporting predatory insects and birds which control pests and reduces the need of chemical pesticides. So natural farming has the potential to convert global agricultural system into a more resilient and balanced food system by merging socio economic benefit and ecological sustainability. In near future, natural farming (NF) may be the more viable option for more resilient, cost effective and sustainable agricultural food production system which can prosper especially in the context of climate change.